Skip Miller
Final Approach
I am planning a long (for me) VFR flight next weekend and I thought I would run my flight planning by everyone for your comments.
On Saturday 3/24, I am going from KHPN White Plains, NY to KTYS McGee-Tyson airport in Knoxville, TN (return Sunday), where a group of us are throwing an 80th birthday party for the best boss we ever had: Joe Kesterson. We are all looking forward to the reunion and plenty of yucks Saturday evening. I have to be there, if for no other reason, to protect my reputation! The party is being held at the Airport Hilton at KTYS so flying in is remarkably convenient...
Since I really want to be there, I already have a refundable ticket on NorthWorst. But of course I would like to fly the trip myself. The route I have planned is KHPN -NO7 –PTW –FDK –MRB –KVBW – BLF –KLNP –VXY –KTYS. At 589 NM this will be the longest cross country I have done by a large margin. I’ll be flying in an Archer II with top end avionics: a CNX-80 which drives a MX-20 display, and which is coupled to the two axis autopilot. Databases are IFR current. Com2/Nav2 is the KX-155; 2 OBS heads.
Two specific questions: 1) FBO recommendations at KTYS?
2) The direct route takes me between P-40 and the ADIZ. Actually, it kisses the ADIZ lightly, but enough to attract the local F-16. To make sure I don’t do that, I plan on coupling the CNX-80 with the autopilot through the area which should give me more time to watch the OBS needles, keep track of position with pilotage, watching for traffic, etc. I plan on flying the VORs FDK – MRB and then on course as above. This has me roughly following the 30 mile Mode C veil arc around the Washington area. How much traffic can I expect while squeezing through this airspace late Saturday morning? Is this route too close to the ADIZ for your comfort?
My fuel plan is to fly three hours, look to stop within the next 30 minutes. I don’t think my bladder could stretch beyond that comfortably. (Using the AOPA RTFP this morning, with current conditions the flight would take 5:19. The archer has 4:30 capacity.)
Winds aloft: this will be the first flight I have made where winds aloft will be a significant factor, because of the length of the flight. They could easily add an hour or more to the flight time. If the winds are adverse, I am planning on flying low: 2500AGL if I can stand the turbulence. After exiting the shelf beneath the NY Bravo at 2500, I will climb to 4,500 and 6,500 to get a GPS readout on ground speed and choose the altitude with the best forward speed. I’ll repeat that test in 90 minutes because after the second 90 is over, I’ll be looking to land for fuel.
The route I have planned is close to the direct routing but I am planning on two deviations. First, I am planning MRB-KVBW (Bridgewater) – BLF to deviate south and east of the Evers MOA. Given the terrain, would it be better to fly MRB – GRV – EKN and then roughly parallel the Appalacians on the west side of the mountain range, rather than flying down the east side and crossing the range near Greenbriar? Also after Bluefield WV the plan is to overfly KLNP which is northwest of the direct line, as there are mountain ridges that closely parallel the direct line, and mechanical turbulence may be a factor. These deviations result in a small increase in route distance but they may be advisable to minimize turbulence down low.
This has been a lot of fun just planning the trip. I will appreciate all of your advice. I think the odds of the weather cooperating are less than one in ten, but you gotta have the plan ready to fly….. This will be my first “four sectional” trip, and I will be crossing both sides of the Cincinnati sectional. Now I just need a 36 hour window in the weather.
-Skip
On Saturday 3/24, I am going from KHPN White Plains, NY to KTYS McGee-Tyson airport in Knoxville, TN (return Sunday), where a group of us are throwing an 80th birthday party for the best boss we ever had: Joe Kesterson. We are all looking forward to the reunion and plenty of yucks Saturday evening. I have to be there, if for no other reason, to protect my reputation! The party is being held at the Airport Hilton at KTYS so flying in is remarkably convenient...
Since I really want to be there, I already have a refundable ticket on NorthWorst. But of course I would like to fly the trip myself. The route I have planned is KHPN -NO7 –PTW –FDK –MRB –KVBW – BLF –KLNP –VXY –KTYS. At 589 NM this will be the longest cross country I have done by a large margin. I’ll be flying in an Archer II with top end avionics: a CNX-80 which drives a MX-20 display, and which is coupled to the two axis autopilot. Databases are IFR current. Com2/Nav2 is the KX-155; 2 OBS heads.
Two specific questions: 1) FBO recommendations at KTYS?
2) The direct route takes me between P-40 and the ADIZ. Actually, it kisses the ADIZ lightly, but enough to attract the local F-16. To make sure I don’t do that, I plan on coupling the CNX-80 with the autopilot through the area which should give me more time to watch the OBS needles, keep track of position with pilotage, watching for traffic, etc. I plan on flying the VORs FDK – MRB and then on course as above. This has me roughly following the 30 mile Mode C veil arc around the Washington area. How much traffic can I expect while squeezing through this airspace late Saturday morning? Is this route too close to the ADIZ for your comfort?
My fuel plan is to fly three hours, look to stop within the next 30 minutes. I don’t think my bladder could stretch beyond that comfortably. (Using the AOPA RTFP this morning, with current conditions the flight would take 5:19. The archer has 4:30 capacity.)
Winds aloft: this will be the first flight I have made where winds aloft will be a significant factor, because of the length of the flight. They could easily add an hour or more to the flight time. If the winds are adverse, I am planning on flying low: 2500AGL if I can stand the turbulence. After exiting the shelf beneath the NY Bravo at 2500, I will climb to 4,500 and 6,500 to get a GPS readout on ground speed and choose the altitude with the best forward speed. I’ll repeat that test in 90 minutes because after the second 90 is over, I’ll be looking to land for fuel.
The route I have planned is close to the direct routing but I am planning on two deviations. First, I am planning MRB-KVBW (Bridgewater) – BLF to deviate south and east of the Evers MOA. Given the terrain, would it be better to fly MRB – GRV – EKN and then roughly parallel the Appalacians on the west side of the mountain range, rather than flying down the east side and crossing the range near Greenbriar? Also after Bluefield WV the plan is to overfly KLNP which is northwest of the direct line, as there are mountain ridges that closely parallel the direct line, and mechanical turbulence may be a factor. These deviations result in a small increase in route distance but they may be advisable to minimize turbulence down low.
This has been a lot of fun just planning the trip. I will appreciate all of your advice. I think the odds of the weather cooperating are less than one in ten, but you gotta have the plan ready to fly….. This will be my first “four sectional” trip, and I will be crossing both sides of the Cincinnati sectional. Now I just need a 36 hour window in the weather.
-Skip
